Chapter 1:

The Beginnings

The smell of liquor and the tunes of the radio filled my senses as I walked into the Mojave Outpost barracks. I would usually come here to check up with the Rangers stationed here, or to get my gear repaired in the building next door. I glanced to broken window that was boarded up, and saw the shadow of the giant statue sneak through the cracks.

There wasn't many people in the dimly lit room, it was only the usual people that slum around here with nothing to do. Cass was sitting at the corner with her face on the table, sleeping off the bottle of whiskey next to her. The bartender Lacey was wiping up a puddle of Nuka-Cola, most likely from a soldier who forgot that he had somewhere to be. Soft thuds can be heard from the ceiling as Ghost watches for any threats.

I look around and the worn down building waiting for my informant show. I had received a telegram this morning in front of the lucky 38, telling me that I must report here to receive my orders from a ranger.

"Welcome back Ethan! Up for another round of caravan? Or maybe you want to forget something." Lacey said with her usual smirk.

"Don't we all." Cass in a drunken slur.

"No, not today. I'm here waiting for someone. Said it was something important." I walked towards the bar and sat next to Cass and plucked at her hat. "I thought you got over your past Cass."

"Never said I would stop drinking." She mumbled.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"What are we going to do with her?" A familiar voice said next to me.

"Shut the fuck up, Boone." Cass threw her hat at the sniper.

Boone chuckled as he threw it back. He sat down and ordered a drink. "I'm guessing you received the message this morning?" He said as he took a swig from his beer.

"Yeah. But I figured a ranger would tell me what's up. You didn't get promoted did you?"

"No. No. I wish, but the ranger was busy with an issue. So he sent me instead. You need to check out the ruby hill mine, the locals from Jacobstown claim to be glowing at around midnight."

"Glowing? What do you mean?" I ordered a Nuka-cola Quantum and sat it in front of me. "Like radiation? I would think that people would be used to that by now." I said as I gulped down the drink.

"It's not radiation. They said the glow look like the piss you will have after you finish that."

I choked on the soda and spat a little bit on the table. "Seriously? I was drinking jackass." I wiped my mouth.

Boone's laughter filled the room. "I'm sorry. It was too perfect to pass up. Anyways, they want you to go no later than tomorrow to check it out. See if it's a threat or not. You'll have 15 days to make a report to the ambassador on the strip."

"Sounds like a party. Want to join for old times sake? Relive my murderous chase of Benny?" I joked.

"I would love to, but, I have to scout out the correctional facility to see if anything a salvageable there. They finally want to try and take it back." He finished his beer in one big swig.

"Wow. A whole five years. They sure are making progress." Cass mocked.

"I'll get it done." I finished the soda. "I'll take Rex with me. He's been sitting at the Lucky 38 for quite some time. I was letting him rest often the brain transplant."

"Sounds like a plan. Good hunting friend" Boon patted my back as he walked away.

I smirked as I looked at my empty bottle in front of me. "He was joking about the piss thing, right?"

"Right?"

I really hate the heat. I don't know why I went to the Mojave wasteland to begin with.

Oh right, it was the caps that brought me here.

I trudged to the mine with a burning hatred for the heat. No pun intended.

It did seem like an easy job: go to the mine, survey the area, check for source of glowing, and come back to the ambassador with a pocket full of caps.

But the weather decided to be a dick today.

"Fuck you Nevada."

I decided to head out at noon to survey the area to see if any critters wanted to ruin my day. But it turned out to be the 103F weather that did that for them. Most of it didn't help that I was wearing an armor called 'Elite Riot Gear' that has a leather trench coat, which doesn't help with the heat.

After trudging a mile, I reached the road leading to the mine. I took a swig out of my vault 13 canteen and wiped the sweat off my forehead.

"Damn. This is the worst job ever." I heard a bark from next to me. Rex panted next to me and nudged my leg, love this dog.

I look at him in disbelief. "How are you not dying in this heat?" He tilted his head at me. "Nevermind."

I glance ahead and see a pack of coyotes pacing in front of the door to the mine. Crouching, I glance over at rex. "Ready to have some fun boy?" He barked in reply.

Pulling out the 'Anti-Material Rifle', I quickly take out the alpha coyote. "Go rex!" I loudly whispered.

Rex bolts to the rest of the pack to distract them from me as I slowly take out the rest of the pack with ease.

"Good job rex!" I ran up to him and scratched his side. I walked to the mouth of the cave and stopped and glanced down to my wrist, changed to Dinner bell for closer quarter weapon, and glanced down at rex while holstering my weapon.

"Ready? Let's do this" I opened the door and step inside to the cool mine.

The darkness was a sharp contrast to the outside so my eyes had to adjust to the dim lightings of the mine before I continued. Quietly as I could, I walked through the mine, which wasn't a very long way, as it open up to a large room with a hole in the roof.

"That's new" I glance at the debris around the room and my eyes settle on the object that stood out the most.

It was the largest crystal I have ever seen. Looks like a pillar of frozen Quantum jutting out of the ground like a crooked telephone pole. Rex gave me a whimper upon seeing the crystal. Unsure what to in this situation, I stalked forward with a gloved hand out towards the crystal.

"We have found an NCR punk boys! Let's get him!" A voice roared behind me.

I whipped my body around with my shotgun pointing towards the sound. There was a line of five Legion recruits with a mixture of weapons aimed in my direction.

A sixth stepped in front of the lineup with his arms crossed in front of him. "Do you realize what you got yourself into, do you?" He grinned. He seems to be a Centurion by his armor.

"Yeah I was looking for the biggest asshole in the wasteland, Turns out he is right in front of me."

He frowned at me, "Alright smart ass" he turned to his men "Make this fucker pay." He muttered as he started to walk away.

I quickly switch to one of my favorite weapons, the CZ57 Avenger. The barrels started to spin and unloaded 30 rounds of steaming hot lead per second. I began to grin as I felt the recoil push me back slightly.

All five men dropped in the matter of seconds.

The main guy dodged behind a rock and waited for my rain of bullets to stop. I changed weapons to the Survivalist's rifle and crouch down to steady my aim.

"Sick 'em Rex!" I shouted.

Rex bolted towards the rock as the centurion raised his laser rifle and shot a beam at me; I rolled and fired at his hand. His gun dropped as he howled in pain. His pain was only short lived as rex jumped on him and clenched his jaws around his throat.

"Holy shit rex. What brain did that old lady give you." I chuckled.

Rex barked at me happily. I took off my helmet to wipe the sweat of my brow then put it back on. "Alright. Let's see what they have to offer."

I holstered my weapon as I began to walk towards the bodies as my Pip-boy's Radiation gauge starts to go crazy. Rex began to whine as I turned my head around to see that the crystal and it started glowing brighter and brighter.

I shielded my eyes with my hand then the ground suddenly started shaking and rocks started to fall. I heard a yelp and turned to see that Rex was at the mouth of the mine barking at me.

I tried to run to him but I was being pulled back to the crystal. A portal formed at the crystal and I was being pulled in. I tripped and tried to grab anything that I could. But the attempt was futile, I flew into the portal.

The force of entry was so crushing that I passed out in a cold, dark void.

A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for taking your time to read my first attempt on a first person story line. I know it has a few flaws in the text, and I'm hoping you guys could help me out! So please leave a review. I'm m open for any type of review.

A/N 2: SO. This is what I have been working on the past few months. Re-writing my first few chapters. The reason for that, is because that I felt that the first few chapters were bland and boring. So I took the liberty to change them to introduce the character, and more, properly. So the next new chapter may be a while. BUT. It's gonna be good. I hope. See y'all there!